Reciprocating pan conveyer



G. c. ILLINGWORTH.

RECIPROCATING PAN CONVEYER'.

APPLICATION FILED JULY25, I92]. L fi flk Patented July M, 1922.,

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

G. C. ILLINGWORTH.

RECIPROCATING PAN CONVEYER.

AP-PLICATIDN FILED JULY 25, I921.

Patented July 11, 1922..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M H. M.

G. C. ILLINGWORTH.

RECIPROCATING PAN CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. I921.

Patented July ILL 1922.,

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Fig. /4.

uvcnl'cz 0. ZZZnyworth.

Gnome bru'reo FAT nr cranes.

Application filed July 25,

To all whom it may concern WORTH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Anniston, in the county of Calhoun and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Reciprocating Pan Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in conveyers for conveying coal, ores, minerals and other materials, and contemplates the use of a series of pans, suitably connected and mounted for reciprocation on rollers working between tracks on the pans and on floor cradles, which are designed to give the pans a rising and falling motion in connection with their lengthwise reciprocations which is most eifective for the movement of the material in the conveyer.

Among the principal objects'which the present invention has in view are to provide a means of conveying materials such as coal mined in veins which are low by what is known as the long wall method for mining, and to provide a simple method for operat-- ing the same. My invention, while ideally suited to coal mining, is not, however, limited to coal alone, but may be used for conveying crushed stones, ores or any other like material.

My invention also comprises novel means for connecting the pans by flexible joints desi ned to permit the necessary play.

Mg invention also comprises the novel'details of construction and arrangement of parts, which, in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved reciprocating pan conveyer as Flg. 2, 1s a applied to coal mining service. side elevation of Fig. 1 omitting the driving mechanism. Fig. 3 isa'detailview of the fulcrum for the bell crank. Figs) 4 and 5, are detail side and end views, respectively, of the bell crank. Fig. 6 is a'detail view of the driving links connecting the bell crank to the driving pan-of the conveyer. Fig. 7, is an enlarged end view of the driving pan having attached plates to which the connecting links are coupled. Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view, broken away, showing adjacent ends of the driving pan and the first pan, with the roller supports of the latter appearing in side elevation. Fig. 9 is a cross sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

REGIPROCATING PAN GONVE'YW.

Patented July 11.51922.

1921. Serial No. 487,312.

tional view through one end of the cradle taken on the line a-a of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a typical power mechanlsm for driving the pan conveyer. Fig. 11, 1s a side view of adjacent pan ends about to be coupled, showing the connecting bolt of the flexible joint broken. Fig. 12 is a deta l side elevation of a portion of the extension pan about to be assembled and bolted to the first pan. 13 is a cross sectlonal view through the pan conveyer and one of its pairs of supporting rollers. Fig. 1-4, is a cross sectional view, taken on the line b-b, of Fig. 12, showing the pans just prior to being bolted together. Fig. 15 is a detall view showing a modified type of spring connecting link for the driving pan. S1m1lar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, l'is a mine entry from which the coal, ore or other material mined is intended to be delivered by the conveyer to a car 2 on track 3 in the main entr 4. The conveyer 1s arranged to deliver the material therein by means of a chute 5 into the car, but if desired, the conveyor may discharge directly into the car.

The conveyer illustrated comprises a train of pans connected end to end and suitably supported to permit of their longitudinal reciprocation. The driving mechanism for oscillating the conveyer, which is typically illustrated in Fig. 10 comprises an electric motor 6, though any other available type of motor may be substituted. This motor drives, through a train of gears 7, 8, 9 and 10, a crank-shaft 11, which, by means of the crank rod 12, drives the rocker arm 13, having intermediate journal bearing 14, and connected at its free end by the rope connecting rod 15 to the cable or rope 16. This rope or cable 16 is connected to a bell crank lever 17, comprising a pair of spaced plates suitably connected and carrying a bushing 18, by means of which it is mounted to rock horizontally about the prop pipe 19 as a fulcrum. This pipe is mounted at its base by a slip joint in the prop stool 20. A nut 21, having suitable hand grips, is adapted to engage the top of the pipe 19 and to have threaded engagement with the jack screw 22, having its top end adapted to engage the mine roof. By turning this nut 21 the prop pipe can be readily set in any desired posi tion as the engagement of the j ack-screw and 24 and 25 to the driving pan 26. This pan is provided with depending attached plates 27, spaced to receive between them the link 25 and provided with a series of holes so that same can be bolted at the desired point between these plates. The driving pan, at its discharge end, has attached thereto a connecting strap 28 which is shown in the form of a band, but may be made of any metallic element. The strap is attached to the under surface of the pan and h s each end shaped to form a connecting bolt loop 29, beyond which it is upturned to connect to a short angle iron 30 which is bolted to the under side of a shelved portion of the pan. The driving pan, at its discharge end, overlaps the pan 31, and to permit this the strap 28 on the driving pan is set back about 2 inches from the end of the pan. A connecting strap 28 is attached to the adjacent end of the pan 31 and through the aligning bolt openings 29 formed in the side straps, I pass connecting bolts 32, thus forming a flexible, yielding connection for the adjacent ends of the pans. On each side of the pan 31, near its receiving end, is mounted a track 33, formed by an angle iron having its forward end. inserted under and bolted through the connecting strap 28 to the pan 31. These tracks 33 are formed of angle irons having reverse curves and inclined so that their forward ends project below the level of the pan and are connected thereto by attachment to a cross bar passing under the pan. The vertical flanges of each pair of angle iron tracks 33 are disposed toward the side edges of the pan and thus overhang the treads of their respective pair of rollers 34, which have their hubs 35 fast on an axle 36. These rollers are adapted to travel on cradles formed by the angle irons 37 which at their ends toward the receiving end of the conveyer, are supported on the upturned ends of a band metal cradle strap 38 which sets fiat on the floor, while their other upwardly curved ends are bolted to a similar cradle strap 39, which, however, will set at an acute angle to the floor level, and thus serve to prevent any tendency of the cradle to creep. The cradle tracks between their band supports are concave.

The discharge end of the pan 31 is suitably lapped and coupled to the extension pan 40, the latter being supported at two or more points by suitable swinging cables or chains 41 and 42, so as to leave it free for endwise play. The intermediate supports 42 are connected to the ends of a strap 43. These supextended for any desired reasonable length.

If desired, connecting links 45. and 46 having an interposed spring 47 may be used in lieu of the links shown in Fig. 6.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

On the forward stroke of the crank shaft of the driving mechanism, the bell crank is rocked counter-clockwise, and by the connections described the train of pans are given a forward stroke or movement toward the receiving end of the conveyer. This operation causes the rollers to roll from their normal position (Fig. 8) to an elevated position on the contour. of the cradle tracks 37 and the conveyer tracks 33 and as a result of both the rising and longitudinal motions imparted to the pans as they pitch forward there is imparted to the material in the pans a forward movement and the material is also caused to rise slightly from the pan conveyer. On the back stroke of the crank shaft, the rope or cable bein slack permits the rollers to roll back to their normal position between the cradle angles and track 33, carrying the pan with them. This motion causes the conveyer to slide from under the material: The continuation of these operations causes a continuous reciprocating motion to the conveyer, which, in turn, causes a continuous flow or forward wave motion.

of the material bein conveyed.

The manner of exibly connecting the pans by means of straps or equivalent elements 29, and bolts 32 rovides all the requisite flexibility to ena le the sectional conveyer to function freely and work over an irregular support without undue strain on the joints. The driving mechanism as a whole is preferably mounted on a skid base 48, by means of which it may be readily shifted from time to time as the work progresses.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A conveyer composed of a series of detachable pans, connecting straps attached to adjacent ends of the pans, bolts connecting the straps and forming a flexible joint between the pans and means to reciprocate the pans.

2. A conveyer composed "of a series of detachable pans, means to flexibly connect ncaaa'io the pans, curved angle iron tracks on the pans and curved floor cradles, free rollers interposed between each track and its opposed cradle, and means for imparting longitudinal reciprocations to the conveyer.

. 3, A conveyer composed of a series of detachable pans, means to flexibly connect the pans, a bell crank and a fulcrum therefor, connecting links to connect the bell crank to a pan of the conveyer, and a flexible driving connection to the bell crank.

4. A conveying mechanism in accordance with claim 3, in which the connection from the bell crank to the conveyer is formed by a series of links connected to afford universal flexibility.

5. A conveyer composed of a series of detachable pans, means to flexibly connect the pans, curved tracks, interposed roller supports for the pans, and means to reciprocate the pans comprising a driving mechanism, a bell crank, a fulcum for the bell crank, composed of a prop stool, a prop pipe, a nut and a jack-screw, and a flexible connection from the bell crank to the conveyer.

6. A conveyer composed of a series of pans, means to flexibly connect the pans, curved angle irons forming a track mounted on each side of a pan, a cradle comprising curved tracks connected at one end by a cradle strap adapted to rest horizontally on a floor support and connected at the other end by a cradle strap adapted to set at an angle to said support, rollers working between said tracks on the pan and cradle and cross connected by a common shaft, and means to impart reciprocatory motion to the conveyer.

7 A conveyer comprising a series of pans having their ends lapped, straps attached to these lapped pan ends in position to substantially butt, and having longitudinal bolt holes in alignment at each side of the conveyer, a connecting bolt at each side passing through aligning openings in adjacent connecting straps, curved tracks and interposed roller supports for the conveyer, and means to impartreciprocatory motion to the conveyer.

8. A conveyer comprising a series of pans, roller supports for the pans, curved cradles for the roller supports, curved tracks on the pans which ride the roller supports, and means to reciprocate the pans, comprising a bell crank, a vertical fulcrum therefor, means to wedge the fulcrum in operating position, a flexible connection from the fulcrum to a conveyer an, a reciprocatory driving mechanism, and a flexible connection from the latter to the bell-crank.

9. A conveyer mechanism in accordance with claim 8, in which the said driving mechanism comprises a motor, a train of gears, a crank driven by gears, a rocker arm driven by the crank, and a coupling connection driven by the rocker arm and adapted to be attached to one end of the flexible connection from the driving mechanism to the bell crank.

10. A conveyer mechanism in accordance with claim 9, in which the driving mechan- '7 ism is mounted upon a skid, and the fulcrum comprises a jack-screw to wedge it in operating position between mine floor and roof. In testimon whereof I aflix my si nature.

GEOllGE C. ILLINGWO TH. Witness:

W. G. Ho'romuss, 

